


Acadia (Jasper's Story)

by Beneath_the_Trees



Series: The Cat and His Wolf [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is Felix, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Jasper is Oliver, Knight, M/M, Marinette will pop up here and there, Medieval AU, Neeks is Tivachi, Plagg is Noir, So kind of like Fanfiction of a fanfiction, bathrooms can be a thing, even though this is medieval, hey they have a forest full of magical gods, jasper is a vampire and Adrien is a knight, like bathrooms, some modern things will be here, this is "A Story Within A Story" continued from Cat's New Toy, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:39:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9485390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beneath_the_Trees/pseuds/Beneath_the_Trees
Summary: The Dark Knight was chosen to go to the Forest of Gods to get rid of the vampire staying there, only to find out he was just as allowed to be there as he was since a god had chosen him. The vampire had been chained up for centuries, left in the ruins of his family's castle starving and in pain until the wolf God Tivachi came to himNow, the vampire was wounded and weak, afraid of the world and the people inside it. The Forest of Gods was the only safe place for him, until the Dark Knight decided to take him back to the castle with him.A.k.a, Jasper's medieval AU of his and Adrien's lives, with some differences, of course.





	1. The First Meeting

Once upon a time, there was a knight own all throughout the kingdom of Kwamistala as the Dark Knight. Why was he called this, you ask? Well, because he wore light weight, black and dark purple colored armor. He was the handsomest knight in the kingdom, and the most well liked. He was kind to all who came across him, and never raised his sword without reason.

One day, he was assigned by the King of his country to venture into the Forest of Gods and dispose of an impurity there; a vampire who had taken refuge in the forest. Now, normally this would not be that big a deal, because the vampire did not attack humans and had not caused commotion in the villages near the forest, but the Forest of Gods was a sacred place that housed mini gods, and only the highest of knights were allowed into the forest for only a few days, at the most, unless they had been chosen by a mini God in those three days.

The Dark Knight was one of those chosen Knights, a small black cat God named Noir having chosen him only two years before. The Dark Knight was one of the youngest high-ranking Knights ever, the other one being a young girl nicknamed the Miracle Knight with her small ladybug Goddess, Fortune. He knew that this was of a grave offense; a vampire, the spawn of Satan, living in the home and birthplace of gods? It was unheard of, to begin with. So, he took the quest, and he began his journey to the forest, planning to arrive in three days time on horseback.

On the first day, he passed through the town where Miracle Knight was staying, and told the girl about his quest. She and Fortune wished the boy and Noir good luck, which, considering it was from a Goddess representing good luck, was practically a blessing. He soon went on his way, since he had no time to waste, and when the second day crept upon it's end for him, the Dark Knight came across some information about the vampire in the Forest of Gods. Apparently the vampire looked young, and had hair the color of snow and eyes the color of blood. He didn't attack the villagers, but he moved around a lot, and seemed to be either searching for something, or running away. Some villagers said they saw a God with the vampire, but they also said it was dark and they could only see sillouettes, so they couldn't be sure.

The Dark Knight frowned, unsure about that bit of information. Why would a god pick a vampire as it's chosen? They were impure, after all. So he pushed it to the back of his mind and went on to the village nearest to the forest, which took up half of the last day. He stopped to replenish some of his supplies, then continued on his way to the forest, stopping right outside and tethering his horse to the nearest tree. The forest loomed in front of the knight, trees thick and dense and glowing slightly the further in he looked. From far away, it looked like it faded into darkness, but he knew that once he was inside, there were bioluminescent organisms that gave the forest light, and the small gods had their own means of lighting their home up.

He and Noir would have to go on by foot from here on out, the cat God landing gracefully on the ground from where he had rested on the Knight's shoulders. He looked at the boy, gave him a grin, and strolled into the forest with ease. The two wandered, in no real hurry to look for the vampire while it was still daylight. They knew he'd be sleeping somewhere dark and away from the sunlight, and while the Dark Knight was to get rid of the vampire, he had no desire to kill the creature- especially not in a forest as sacred as this one.

 

As they wandered, Noir and the Dark Knight found many small Gods, ranging in any and all species to breeds. Each species symbolized something different, but there was a special God in each species, the only one of its kind. They symbolized something specific, and they were the strongest of their kind. Noir was one of these special gods; the only black cat, who symbolized Destruction and Bad Luck, while the Miracle Knight's mini God, Fortune, was the only red Ladybug and symbolized Miracles and Good Luck. These special gods could transfer some of their powers to their chosen, giving them special abilities unique to them and only them.

The gods they passed greeted them and welcomed them, and the Dark Knight gained a little more information on where the vampire had been staying. The Knight noticed how some of the Gods looked displeased, but most of them seemed to be fine with the Vampire invading their home.

The rest of the day was spent heading in the vampire's direction. He had been told by a young turtle god that the vampire was taking refuge in the center of the forest, where it was admittedly the darkest during the day, and where the rivers of the forest connected with the largest tree in the forest. The Knight was only mildly surprised that the vampire didn't stay in the small cabin meant for the few times Knights came into the forest, but then he remembered how it had no way to block the shade when daylight reached it.

The Dark Knight and Noir reached the center of the forest around sunset. The small amounts of dark golden light filtering through the leaves dotted the clearings like stars, and the rivers and streams that ran to the trees looked like molten gold and azures from the bioluminescent algae inside the water. The center tree was indeed the largest and oldest, the trunk of the tree much larger than any human. The Knight looked around, wondering if he was in the right section of the center, when he noticed a splash of red in the fading golden light hanging from a tree. He walked towards it quietly, trying not to alert the Vampire.

When the Knight drew close enough, he saw that there was what looked to be a boy around his age curled up and sleeping on the branch, tattered black and red cape hanging down off the branch behind him. His head was covered by a hood but he could still see the shock of white that was his hair peeking through the holes in the hood, and his pants looked just as torn at the ends as his entire cape did, exposing deathly pale legs. The boy didn't look like he was wearing any shoes, but he was too high up for the Knight to tell.

The Knight stared, shifting uncomfortably as he debated waking the male or letting him wake up naturally. Noir rolled his eyes and darted past him up the tree, much to the distress of the Knight. The distress for his partner was quickly snuffed out, however, when a startled cry came from the boy and he came tumbling back off the branch.

"Ah!" The boy cried out as he fell to the ground, crashing loudly and probably painfully to the ground before the Knight could reach him. The knight winced at the sound of his fall, slowing in his run towards the boy and walking the rest of the way. He noticed now that the boy indeed wasn't wearing any shoes, and his feet and the exposed parts of his legs were covered in many small cuts and scars.

When he was in front of the boy he offered him his hand while asking, "Are you okay?"

"Ow....." The boy groaned as he sat up, hood fallen to reveal a full head of shaggy, snow colored hair covered in leaves and twigs from his fall. He nodded as he rubbed the back of his head, shaking it quickly as if to clear away any disorientation. "Yeah, I'm okay...." He murmured, one Crimson eye still pinched shut as he rubbed his head. The Knight's breath caught momentarily in his throat as he looked at the vampire in front of him, finding him to be the most beautiful person he had ever come across. The vampire was reaching for the Knight's hand when he suddenly froze, both eyes staring wide-eyed at the Knight. The Dark Knight looked at him confused, worry sinking in as the vampire stayed like that longer than he should.

"Are-"

"Ah!" The vampire's scream cut the Knight off, and the vampire yanked his hand away so fast it was a blur as he scrambled back a few feet, eyes still locked on the Knight and filled with fear. The Knight, frozen in his position of reaching down to help him up, bit his lip and slowly straightened up, looking at the vampire with concern.

"Is everything alright?"

"W-What are you doing here?!" The vampire's voice cracked, and the Dark Knight winced at how hoarse the boy's voice was.

"I'm allowed here..." At the vampire's small amount of confusion in his eyes, he elaborated. "I'm a knight.... The Dark Knight, if you want to get specific.... I was chosen by one of the gods here?" The vampire's confusion grew, but he was still tense, and the Knight sighed, running a hand carefully through his hair. "Anyway, my name is Felix. My partner's name is Noir."

As if on cue, Noir dropped down between the two, eliciting another yelp from the boy and causing him to scramble further away. Noir stalked over to Felix, jumping up to his shoulder and yawning loudly. "Give it up, Felix. The kid ain't gonna relax anytime soon. You're probably the first human he's come in contact with in a week or two, given the freshness of those scratches." Noir studied the scratches along the boys feet and legs and his tail flicked in irritation. "Some cat gods went after him, too, but most of those tears and cuts were caused by running through brambles and other sharp things in forests and nature in general."  Noir's tail flicked again, his nose scrunching up in what almost looked like disgust.

"What I don't get, though... Is why do you smell like one of us?" Noir jumped down again and walked over, sniffing at the vampire. When Noir was reaching the vampire's waist, a snarl was the only warning he had before a large white wolf appeared, standing over the vampire protectively and dark, molten silver eyes staring right at Felix and his God. Noir scrambled back with a hiss, back arched and fur standing on end as Felix pulled out his sword on reflex. The vampire cowered behind the wolf, his hands tangling themselves into the wolf's thick fur.

The wolf snarled, crouching low to cover as much of the vampire as possible, almost as if it was protecting him. Felix frowned and quickly put his sword away, holding his hands up to show he wasn't going to harm the other male. "Hey, it's okay. We won't touch him, promise." He said to the wolf, who only continued to growl.

Noir's fur slowly laid flat, and his posture relaxed as he stepped closer, sniffing lightly at the Wolf's paw before the wolf moved away from the cat God. His nose crinkling again, and he sat back on his haunches. "What the...? You're one of us?"

The wolf didn't respond, still guarded against the Knight and God. Felix sighed softly and took a few hesitant steps forward before sitting down in front of the vampire and wolf, glancing over the wolf to try and see the vampire. "What's your name?" He asked, watching as the vampire peeked out from behind the wolf.

"O-Oliver...." The vampire said softly, not meeting Felix's eyes and his cheeks dusted with red. Felix smiled and nodded, still not moving closer.

"Oliver, huh? That's a nice name." He got a small nod from the vampire, who slowly shifted into a more comfortable position behind the wolf. His arm slipped over the wolf's back, wrapping loosely around his neck as he pulled the wolf off him. The wolf relaxed almost immediately and nudged the boy lovingly. Felix bit his lip, watching the exchange and glad that the vampire was a bit more comfortable now. "Oliver... Do you know what this forest is?"

Another small nod, the vampire gnawing at his lower lip and exposing one of his fangs. "The.... The Forest of Gods, right?" He said softly, pressing into the wolf's side a little more. Felix belatedly noticed that the boy's cloak was clasped with silver chains, and he winced a little when he noticed the faint burns on his neck where the chains had pressed against before being secured under his shirt's collar. He nodded, smiling a little more.

"Yeah, this is the Forest of Gods. You know you aren't allowed here unless you are a high-ranking knight, right? And even then you have to be chosen by a god here, like Noir, in order to stay as long as you'd like or need to." Felix said softly, smile gone as Oliver continued to look confused and scared.

"B-But Tivachi said it was okay for me to be here...."

Felix frowned faintly, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Who's Tivachi?" He asked softly, wondering just who told Oliver he was allowed here. He looked over at Noir to see that his jaw had dropped, and the cat God's wide green eyes were fixed on the wolf.

Felix looked from Noir to the wolf, slowly putting the pieces together. "Wait, so the wolf is Tivachi? Is he a God?"

"Yes, he is. He's like Fortune and I." Noir said, walking forward and bowing gracefully in front of the wolf. "He's the only white wolf... and he stands for Freedom and Instincts." Noir looked over the wolf and then Oliver, sitting down again and curling his tail around his paws. "He wanders, choosing his chosen from a certain code that only he knows, and one or two requirements must be made besides the code. It's rare he ever finds someone worthy of being his chosen, and it's even more rare for anyone- human, vampire, or God- to see him face to face."

Felix hummed in surprise, following Noir's lead and bowing for the wolf God. "What are the requirements?" He asked Noir curiously, wondering if he even had the answer. Noir opened his mouth and was about to answer when he was cut off by a new voice.

"Freedom."

Felix looked over to Tivachi, who was looking at him with a small wolfish grin on his face. "My main requirement is a desire or need for freedom." Tivachi repeated more thoroughly, his voice slightly deeper than Noir's, calm and steady. He sounded kind and loving, and Felix watched as Oliver relaxed further at the sound of his voice. The wolf licked at Oliver's hair, gently pulling out the leaves and twigs stuck in it, tail swaying gently back and forth as he cleaned the boy.

"My pup here needed freedom from his chains, and I've been trying to help him along." He nuzzled Oliver, who let out a soft giggle and smiled gently. Felix felt his cheeks warm slightly, enjoying the small smile that made the boy even more beautiful. He found he liked it much more than the scared Oliver he had been seeing so far. "Come, Oliver, you don't need to be afraid of these boys. They're friends."

Oliver nodded and moved away from Tivachi a little, blushing lightly and rubbing the back of his neck. "Um... Sorry for what just happened... I, uh, I haven't met a friendly person in, well, centuries."

"It's alright. I understand." Felix smiled leaning back a little and using his hands to keep himself from falling any further. He studied the boy a little more and hummed in thought.

"Oliver, if you don't mind me asking, why haven't I heard about you before?" At Oliver's confused look, he clarified what he meant, "Most vampire's are known far and wide, for some reason or another, but you.... I've never heard of you. An albino vampire is more unheard of than a vampire who doesn't attack humans."

Oliver's eyes widened slightly, a soft "Oh." slipping from his lips before he looked away, lightly biting his lower lip. Felix noticed how they were dried and cracked, a deep cherry red when the skin had broken or been torn.

"Well.... I was... I was locked up, for a long time. I.... I used to be a prince, way back when my family ruled an entirely different country here, before it was destroyed and taken over during a war...." Oliver became silent, looking like he was trying to remember something. "What was it called.... The, um, the Celcists-Kwamistals War?"

He looked to Tivachi as if to make sure he had said the war's name right, receiving a kind smile and nod in return. He looked proud for a moment before turning his attention back to Felix. "I.. I got turned during the war by a rogue vampire. I don't remember her name... Or much of what she looked like." Oliver rubbed at the side of his neck, his hand slipping underneath some of his hair and exposing pale flesh marred with burns, with two angry red dots evenly spaced apart. "My family panicked and because they thought I was going to attack them, locked me in the dungeon. They lost the war, our line died out, and I was left alone in the ruins of the castle, stuck to a wall by heavy metal chains."

Oliver shivered from the memory, and Felix frowned. "That's terrible."

Oliver shrugged, look down and lightly digging his foot into the dirt a little more. "That's life. Or whatever the heck this is for me. Anyway, Tivachi found me about three years ago and broke my chains for me. He took me from the castle ruins and protected me as he took me to the nearest hiding place. He brought me food and explained what he was and why he helped me while I regained my strength. Then the villagers found out I was there and I've been chased by villagers or hunters ever since."

"I told my pup about this forest because he's still unwell. His strength has yet to really return to him, and he's not eating like he should. I go out hunting for him when I can but normally I don't have the time because we are either running or I need to protect him as he sleeps." Tivachi finished nuzzling his chosen gently.

Felix nodded, quiet as he took in this information. "What do you need to eat?"

"I drink blood from dead animals, and it can be anything. Tivachi tries to get as big an animal he can get without killing any of the village animals."

Once again, Felix nodded, biting his lip lightly as he exchanged a glance with Noir. They couldn't kick Oliver out- he was chosen, for one thing, and for another- this might just be the only safe place left for him. After a silent conversation between chosen and God, Felix looked at Oliver and smiled. "Alright, I've got an idea. Come back to the castle with Noir and I. My King, King Jun, is friendly." Felix started carefully, "He was chosen by a special god here, too, and he won't let anyone harm you. You can stay with Noir and me in our room there, and you can have large animals blood when we but her cows and the like for food! We don't need a lot of their blood, and it's better than wasting it. No one there will care that your a vampire!" Felix personally liked the sound of the plan, a grin spreading on his face before he was even done speaking. Oliver didn't look too certain about it though, nervous as he stayed close to Tivachi.

Tivachi looked thoughtful, his head cocking to the side a little. "Jun, huh? I met him once, when he was a little toddler. I always knew he was destined for greatness. Do you not choose the ruler by blood?"

Felix shook his head, smiling a little. "Not since many kings prior to King Jun. Our country's King Cedric, from about 20 years after the Celcists-Kwamistals War, had no heir, and so he chose from the high-Knights that had been chosen by a god. He picked the most trustworthy, and since that King's reign had gone so well they turned that into the new way of choosing a king. We haven't had a bloodthirsty ruler since."

Tivachi hummed and nodded, looking at Oliver. "We should try it, Oliver. I think you would like it."

"If you don't, I'm sure King Jun will let you stay here." Felix added quickly. Oliver's face became even more flushed, and he shrugged weakly. "Whatever's safe, I'll do... It seems wrong for me to be in a castle though... Are you sure people won't get mad?"

Noir scoffed, standing and stretching as he eased the boy's worries. "If they get mad, ignore them. You're our friend, Oliver, and you were chosen by a powerful God. They're just sore losers."

Oliver was quiet, looking at Tivachi before the others. He took a deep breath and nodded, biting his lip again. "O-Okay. I'll go with you."

Felix grinned, his happiness almost infectious as it caused even Oliver to smile a little. "We'll leave tomorrow night."


	2. To The Castle They Go

The next day, after the sun had fallen, Felix and Oliver made their way to the edge of the forest, with Oliver riding on Tivachi's back. Felix untethered his horse, fed it, got onto its back, and they went on their way. On their journey, Felix studied the strange duo in the silence that usually fell over them all, taking note of whatever he could.

He noticed how Tivachi would periodically make Oliver walk, although he stuck close to the vampire boy, as if to make sure he didn't fall. He noticed how Oliver always looked tired and worn, and that whenever Tivachi brought him something to eat, he would look disgusted with himself even as he hungrily gulped down as much blood as he could. Sadly, he also noticed that most of it was thrown up about ten minutes later.

Tivachi did most of the talking when Felix asked questions. Did most of the talking in general. He explained that Oliver's body was used to being empty, and while it hungered to be filled, it couldn't handle regaining so much at once. Oliver throwing up was a regular occurrence, no matter what they tried. The wolf explained that Oliver wasn't much of a talker because of similar reasons, but they were working on it.

"He hasn't spoken to anyone in thousands of years," Tivachi explained one night, when they were waiting patiently for Oliver to come back from where he had gone to throw up blood. "Add on the fact his throat was burned terribly from the chains on his cloak, and you've got a boy who could barely say a single word before coughing when I first met him." Felix looked over to the wolf, noticing the sadness and pride in his silver eyes as he continued to speak. "He gets tired easily when speaking now, and his throat pains him if he talks too much at once, but he's made so much progress in the months I've known him."

"...Did they mean to leave the chain on his throat?" Felix asked softly, looking towards where Oliver had gone when he heard leaves rustling. Oliver was walking towards them, the back of his hand pressed against his mouth and his gaze locked on the ground. Tivachi sighed, standing so Oliver could climb back on when he reached them.

"Who knows? Whether it was an accident or a form of torture, not even Oliver knows." Tivachi's eyes slid over to Felix, who shivered from their intensity. "Either way, it was left there to hurt him."

Tivachi's tail wagged when Oliver came over, and he licked the vampire's cheek before he climbed on, then they continued on their journey.

Felix noticed how Oliver's neck dipped harshly where the scars were.

It took them five days to return to the castle, and when they neared the gate, Oliver pulled his hood over his head, hiding his face from view. Felix had them stop before reaching it, and he reached up to pet Noir. "Noir, can you head inside and let King Jun know I came back with the vampire? I don't know how the guards will react, and they might not let us in." He said softly, causing the cat God to scoff before yawning loudly.

"Please, they have to let him in. He was chosen by a god, after all. If they don't listen to that, then I'll go." He said, hitting Felix's face with his tail and making the Knight frown.

"I-I don't know, Felix..." Oliver's scratchy and hoarse voice spoke up, and Felix looked down to where he sat on Tivachi's back, hands twisting nervously in the wolf god's fur before smoothing it and repeating the process. Oliver wasn't looking at him as he carefully thought about what he wanted to say. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. No one in the castle is going to feel safe with me there."

Felix sighed heavily, swinging himself off his horse's back so he could look at Oliver more easily. "Alright, listen here, Oliver. You have had five days to back out, and now that we are finally here, you want to leave? I can't let you do that, bud. Come on, everyone will love you when they learn the real you."

"You don't even know the real me." Oliver said so quietly, Felix almost didn't catch it. He smiled, offering Oliver his hand. Oliver hesitated before taking it and sliding off Tivachi's back.

"I know you are the kindest vampire I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and you wouldn't hurt a fly." Felix said with a small laugh, Tivachi snorting slightly behind them, as he started walking with Oliver to the gates. He kept the vampire close, feeling how his legs tried to buckle underneath him almost constantly, and he hopped a little as if to keep his weight off one of his feet.

When they reached the gate, the guards there welcomed him back excitedly, but their expressions changed to serious when they noticed Oliver beside him. "Felix, who's that?" One of them asked with a frown, walking closer and making Oliver flinch when he got a little too close and held the torch in his hand closer to him in an attempt to see his face. Felix carefully shuffled them back a step at that, wanting to keep the vampire in his comfort zone.

"This is Oliver. I found him in the Forest. He was chosen by one of the gods there." He explained, and the guards looked at each other in confusion.

"But no one's supposed to go there besides Knights."

"He met his god outside the forest." Noir stated, jumping from Felix's shoulders and onto Tivachi's head. "This is his God, Tivachi." At the introduction, Tivachi bowed his head in greeting, but said nothing as Noir continued. "Now let us through, will ya? I want to sleep in my bed again."

The guards quickly let them pass, watching Oliver wearily. Felix pulled the boy closer, after handing his horse's reigns to a stable hand, and smiled at him. "King Jun is probably sleeping right now, so how about you spend the night in my room with me, and we'll get everything sorted in the morning. Do you think you can take a nap until morning?"

Oliver nodded, and Tivachi nudged his hand gently. "You did great, pup. Everything will turn out alright, don't worry." He said softly, making Oliver smile weakly.

Felix let Oliver climb back onto Tivachi's back again when they reached a long flight of stairs, and they went up to the next floor. He led them to his room, opening the door for Tivachi and watching them take in the simple room.

His room was nothing extravangent, the walls mostly bare aside from a few banners that symbolized his rank and the country he was apart of. He had a desk against one wall, scrolls and books piled neatly on top of it, with writing utensils on one corner. A bed, big enough for two, with black and green sheets and white pillows was pressed agains the other wall, leaving space for a black and green carpet on the stone floor between the two structures. An armoire was in the corner of the room, next to the large window that covered most of the wall and allowed moonlight to flood the room with light. Noir jumped from Tivachi's head and darted to the windowsill, which was big enough for a person to sit or even lay, and made himself at home on a smaller black pillow than the ones on the bed, a loud sigh escaping the God as he stretched on it.

"Ah, the wonderful comforts of a bed! How I've missed you!" He purred, making the group laugh.

Felix closed and locked his door, and watched as Tivachi walked to the bed, letting Oliver climb onto it before settling himself on the carpet besides the bed. The white wolf God and Oliver's shock of white hair and pale skin stood out drastically against the decor the castle servants had given his room, and Felix was faintly reminded of freshly fallen snow and how beautiful the pair was.

"You can sleep on either side of the bed, but it'll be a bit hard for the servants to see you in the morning if you sleep against the wall while I take the outer edge." Felix said, shedding the pieces of armor he had on as he walked to the armoire. As he put his armor away, he thought about whether or not he should change into his night clothes, but after a moment decided that would probably be too much for Oliver and he walked back over to his bed after stripping to only his undershirt and cotton pants.

Oliver had pressed himself against the wall, and was fiddling with the torn and frayed edges of his pants, staring at the bed. "Oliver?" Felix asked softly as he settled himself on the edge of the bed, and the vampire slowly lifted his head to meet Felix's eyes. "You know you can relax while your here, and can ask me anything, right?"

Oliver nodded, shifting around a little nervously and biting his lip. "I don't.. Want to make your bed even more dirty." He said softly, and Felix chuckled a little.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm covered in sweat and dust, too. You won't get it dirty, and it can be washed tomorrow if it really bothers you." Felix said softly, reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair.

Oliver was quiet for a moment longer, before he opened his mouth to speak. "C-Can you..." He started slowly, moving one of his hands up to point to the silver clasps of his cloak. Felix immediately understood, and he reached under his shirt collar carefully, unclasping the chain and taking Oliver's cloak off of him. He stood up again, folding it and dropping it carefully over his desk chair as Oliver said a soft thank you.

He went back over to his bed and lifted the sheets, getting under them along with Oliver. Tivachi chuckled from his place on the floor. "Get some rest, boys. I'll wake you when you need to get up."

Neither boy protested, falling asleep with ease.


	3. Meeting the King

When Tivachi woke the boys up, the sun had risen only slightly in the sky, signifying that it was early morning. Felix was the first to wake up, and it took a little more coaxing to get Oliver up. Felix carefully put Oliver's cloak back on for him, carefully tucking the chain under his collar. He straightened Oliver's clothes a little, before going over to his armoire and grabbing a fresh shirt to change into.

Oliver rubbed his eyes sleepily as Felix changed, walking over to Tivachi and proceeding to have his face licked by the wolf God. "Tivachi, what're you doing...?" He asked tiredly, and Tivachi chuckled.

"Cleaning you, pup. We're going to go see King Jun soon, and I want you to look just a little more presentable."

"He can use some water from the washbasin over there, you know." Felix told them gently, glancing at them. His lips quirked into a small smile when he saw how Oliver looked like a sleepy puppy being cleaned by its parent. Tivachi shrugged a little before continuing to clean the vampire boy.

"He's too tired. Besides, he just needs to be clean enough to get into the room. He can take a proper bath after we get him a room and he's awake."

Felix chuckled slightly, shaking his head and walking over to the washbasin. He cleaned his face and his hands, getting rid of the dirt and grime that had collected over their trip back to the castle. When he was done and turned to look at Oliver, he was a little surprised to see that Oliver did in fact look cleaner. He still had dirt covering parts of his exposed skin, but it wasn't as bad as it had been.

"Alright, let's go. King Jun is waiting for us." Tivachi hummed, smiling. "Noir said he'd go and let him know we were coming."

"Okay." Felix helped Oliver onto Tivachi's back, and led the two to the throne room, where King Jun would be. The guards there eyed Oliver wearily, but when Felix gave them a look, they kept their mouths shut on whatever they were thinking.

When they were inside the throne room, Oliver got off Tivachi's back out of respect for the king, taking a few stumbling steps forward before Felix and Tivachi helped to support him. Oliver's cheeks flared red, and he stared at the ground, clearly embarrassed to need help. He tangled a hand into Tivachi's fur, though, and Felix could only guess it was for comfort.

Felix stepped forward, bowing to King Jun. "Good morning, my King. Did you sleep well?"

"Felix! You've returned late, my boy!" The King said, standing from his throne and walking down to meet his guests halfway. He smiled and took Felix's hand, giving it a firm shake. "I heard you've made a new friend!"

Now see, King Jun was by no means intimidating. In fact, with his almost grandfatherly appearance, he was quite charming and welcoming to practically anyone who came through his castle's walls. He was a short man who liked to dress in reds and whites, and commoners clothes. The only thing that showed he was king in his outfit was the simple gold crown on his head with the turtles engraved in it, swimming around the metal in a never ending circle. The God who chose him when he had gone to the forest many years before, a bright, almost lime green turtle, rested beside his throne, a small canopy of red and black pulled back to allow it some sunlight. Noir strolled down the steps from where the turtle was, walking to Felix and leaping gracefully to his shoulders.

Felix chuckled softly and smiled, nodding as he absentmindedly reached up to pet the cat God. "Yessir. His name is Oliver, and he was chosen by one of the wolf gods from the forest." He said, motioning behind him to where Oliver stood on slightly shaky legs, being supported by Tivachi.

The King's eyes lit up, and he rushed over with a surprising swiftness to the two, taking the hand not touching Tivachi and holding it tightly before giving it a firm shake. "It is wonderful to meet you! Noir has been gracious enough to explain. You are a vampire, yes?" Oliver, who looked completely lost and even a bit scared, meekly nodded, all royal protocol from when he had been human vanishing from his mind at the sudden situation. "Then we shall make accommodations accordingly." King Jun gave him a kind smile, giving his hand a small squeeze, and moved back after dropping his hand. He looked to Tivachi, and bowed low to the ground.

"We welcome you, Tivachi; the white wolf God, one who stands for freedom and instinct. You and your chosen may stay here as long as you see fit, but we wish that you may make this castle your home." He said regally, and Tivachi returned the bow with a dip of his head and the shifting of his paw.

"Thank you, King Jun. I'm grateful of your hospitality. Dear Oliver here needs a safe place to recuperate and live. Young Felix had taken the liberty of inviting us." Tivachi said, voice melodic and soothing, but also purely friendly. King Jun quirked an eyebrow at his mention of Oliver needing to recuperate, and he looked to both the wolf and its chosen for answers as he asked his question.

"Recuperate? Noir explained Oliver needed a safer place to live, but did not go into details. What exactly is wrong, my boy?" He asked softly, and Oliver looked down, biting his lip. Tivachi looked at Oliver, silently asking if he wished to speak, to which Oliver shook his head. Tivachi looked back at Jun before responding.

"My pup was chained up for centuries, back with the Kwamistalans were at war with his people, the Celcistians. He's been unable to feed and been exposed to sun and silver for too long without proper care. He can't feed without throwing up soon after, and he can't talk for too long before tiring out. There is more, but I wish not to expose everything too soon after meeting, simply for his comfort."

The King nodded, his expression somber. "Ah, I understand. No need to tell me more." He looked to Oliver, giving him a fatherly smile that made Oliver wary. "I will tell the staff to save the animal blood you, and perhaps we can see if you can eat it better if we create something similar to human food with it? Maybe a different kind of substance can help you keep it down, with a more controlled approach." 

Slowly, Oliver nodded, still rather overwhelmed by the immediate acceptance from the human. "O-Okay..... W-Whatever you think is best, sir." He said slowly, voice shaking more than his legs. Tivachi nudged him gently, encouraging him. King Jun's smile brightened.

"Wonderful! You may take one of the many unused guest rooms for now, until we get the room beside Felix's ready."

Oliver seemed to relax at the mention of his future room being next to Felix's, and he nodded, before seeming to realize something. "Um... Sir? If I may.... Can I ask about how servants work around here?"

King Jun chuckled, smiling reassuringly. "Yes, you may. Servants serve all those of high standing here, like you and I, and guests. They bring food, wake you up, help bath and dress you, the usual things servants do." He said softly, and Oliver bit his lip again.

"S-Sir, may I ask that no servants attend to me?"

King Jun smiled still, nodding and carefully placing a hand on Oliver's shoulder in comfort. His eyes twinkled slightly, flitting to the chain of Oliver's cloak before meeting his eyes once again. "Of course you may. Felix doesn't have servants attend to him, either, aside for one to cook him and bring it to him. I'll give you the same."

"Thank you." Oliver said quietly, his voice cracking a little as he looked down nervously.

"I have one more thing to ask you." King Jun said, stepping away from the vampire, who visibly relaxed when the man had moved away. Oliver glanced at the man, silently telling him it was okay to ask. "Would you like us to get you some different clothes? The ones you are wearing now are all torn up, and it looks as if that chain on your cloak is silver. Surely that must hurt."

Oliver lifted his hand  towards the chain, but stopped halfway and slowly lowered it again, shrugging a little. Felix looked at Tivachi, asking if it was alright that he spoke, and when the wolf God nodded, he stepped forward. "Your majesty, if I may, I would like to suggest we hold off on that for now. A lot has been changing for Oliver lately, and the clothes might bring him some much needed comfort. The chain and clasps should definitely be changed, but only when Oliver wishes for them to be."

King Jun hummed as he looked to Felix and then Oliver and Tivachi. He studied them for a few moments before nodding. "If that is what makes you comfortable, then I'll hold off on it. Just let one of us know when you'd like to get some new clothes, and we'll send for a tailor." He looked at Felix a little longer, a small smile on his face. "Perhaps one from your father's store, Felix."

Felix tensed at his words, shifting nervously as he looked down at the ground before looking back up at Jun."Actually, sir, I think Bridgette should make them. She's always fancied making her own clothes as a hobby, and she's made many wonderful clothes for plenty of others. She puts more feeling into them than my father and his workers."

King Jun chuckled, nodded. "If that is what you wish. I'll let Bridgette know you speak highly of her designs." Felix bowed his head in thanks, and the King turned to Oliver and Tivachi.

"Now then... I need to speak to Felix about some things, and I'm sure they'd bore you and you would like to go sleep, so Blayze will take you to your temporary room. The one beside Felix should be ready by tonight."

At the mention of his name, the turtle God stood from its resting place, walking with a surprising quickness down the steps and towards the door. He bowed to Tivachi, and after bowing to the king and saying a small thank you, Oliver stumbled after the God, not wanting to seem rude by climbing onto Tivachi's back in the throne room. Tivachi bowed to the king as well, before rushing to Oliver's side, keeping the boy steady as they followed the turtle from the room.

Felix watched them go warily, uneasy about letting them go by themselves. He trusted Blayze, but not being beside Oliver in a place where there were many strangers who didn't have the greatest opinion of vampires, as friendly as all the workers and people who lived here were, didn't sit well with him.

"Well now, he seems to be rather cute." King Jun hummed, grinning, and Felix looked back at him when the door to the throne room closed, wondering what is was he needed.

King Jun walked back to his throne, Felix following a few steps behind, stopping at the base of the stairs leading to the throne. "What did you need, sir?"

"I wanted to talk to you privately about our new addition to the family, as well as a few other things." He said, easing himself back into his throne. Felix shifted uncomfortably in his spot, biting his lip after a moment.

"Your majesty, I hope you aren't telling me to betray their trust and tell you what I've learned but they wish to keep secret." He said slowly, and King Jun's eyes widened.

"Is that what I sound like?" He asked, surprised, and Felix gave him a hesitant nod. King Jun let out a soft gasp before quickly shaking his head. "Oh, goodness, no! I do not in any way wish to betray their trust! I just wished to hear your opinion of the boy, and he looked ready to collapse. I thought it best to let him go rest." At that, Felix seemed to relax, a soft sigh escaping him.

"You wish to know my opinion of him?" Felix asked, and King Jun nodded, leaning forward a bit. "Well-"

"He's like an injured animal." Noir cut off his chosen, piercing green eyes staring at King Jun. "He was betrayed by his family and left to rot and burn in his castle's ruins for centuries, until Tivachi found him, and then he was on the run because villagers were trying to kill him just for being a vampire. He needs people who will be kind to him. He needs friends. Noir flicked his tail, crossing his front paws over each other. "He's a sweet kid, Jun, but the boy is scarred mentally as well as physically. The main thing he needs is time, but let Felix and his friends help to heal him as well."

King Jun chuckled faintly, nodding at the cat god's words. "I see. Felix, do your share Noir's opinion?"

Felix nodded, before expanding on his opinion. "He doesn't want to hurt anyone. In fact, he mostly just wants to be left alone. He gets easily embarrassed and, quite frankly, he's like a large child. Tivachi is a motherly figure in his life, which is something he desperately needs. He also does whatever his asked of him with little to no complaint... I think the years of isolation have caused him to become much more submissive. He's been hurting for years, and I think my friends and I might be able to help the process of healing, if he's alright with that. For now, I think we should give him time to adjust to living here." He said, and King Jun nodded, expression serious.

"Tell me, does he only sleep during the day?"

"He tends to be awake most hours. Once again, it has stemmed from his time in chains. He sleeps in the early morning hours, or the early evening; when the sun rises and sets. Other than that, it seems to be he takes a few naps throughout the day or the night. That myth that vampires turn to dust in the sun is completely false, your majesty. The most it seems to do is irritate them and burn them."

King Jun was silent as he took in this information, nodding when Felix was finished speaking. "I see. Thank you, Felix. I was going to give you another short mission, but I'll hand that off to another knight. I have a very special one for you."

"Yes, my King?"

"I want you to spend time with Oliver. Help him become comfortable and care for him. Even though it's been a week since meeting you, he seems to trust you and not cower around you. Be his friend, please." Felix smiled, nodding.

"Of course, sir." He said softly, even though that had always been his plan from the start.


	4. Are We Sure The Vampire's A Teenager?

"Tivachi...!" Oliver whined, sitting in the filled bathtub while sulking like a child as the wolf god licked the side of his face calmly. "Stop licking me! It was bad enough I had no idea how to work this and you had to do it for me!"

Tivachi chuckled, amused, and continued licking Oliver's face and neck, being sure to be much more delicate and careful around the burns and his bite mark. They never did heal properly. "You are my pup. I want to take care of you, and since that includes bathing you, I will do it."

"Still... I don't need you cleaning me when I'm _in a bath_." Oliver's voice cracked near the end, and he coughed, covering his mouth with his hand. He shivered momentarily, before starting to go about cleaning himself, taking the bar of soap some servants had supplied. He sniffed it absentmindedly, smelling lavender and... Something else. His nose crinkled in disgust, but he used it anyway, hoping the smell of lavender was enough to mask the other scent in the soap.

Tivachi laughed again, nuzzling his chosen, and sat back, watching Oliver clean himself and the water turn brown. "Are you cold?" He asked after watching Oliver shiver a few more times, and the vampire quickly shook his head.

"No, it's just.... Strange. I'm not used to this." Oliver mumbled, slipping his shoulders under the water to wash the soap from them. Oliver did this carefully with the rest of his body, scrubbing at the dirt coating him until his skin was raw. Tivachi waited until the last bit of Oliver was no longer covered in dirt before standing and walking towards the knobs that controlled the water, and he motioned towards the dirty water.

"Oliver, pup, you know that plug I put in the drain?" Oliver nodded,  and he moved forward towards where he knew Tivachi meant.

"You want me to pull it out, right?" Tivachi nodded, and Oliver removed the plug, flinching at the sudden sound of water draining from the tub.

"When it's drained, I'd like you to start it again. Your hair needs to be washed, and I refuse to let you do that in muddy water."

Oliver nodded once more, staying in the tub as the water drained around him. When it had all drained, he plugged the drain again and turned the water back on, this time doing it himself since he now knew how to work it. He filled it just enough to slide and dunk his head under the water, since he wasn't sure where they got all of their water and he didn't want to waste any. He looked to the small tray next to the tub with different containers of products, and frowned at all of them. The only one he recognized was soap. The containers had labels on them, explaining what they were and how to use them. He stayed away from the black tea option, not sure if it would darken his hair or not, and grabbed a circular container with a green paste in it, labeled Rosemary.

He opened it and sniffed at it, smelling the strong scent of the herb. He turned it over after replacing the lid, and read the short amount of instructions on the back, frowning as he did. The words blurred a little, and he rubbed at his eyes, wondering if he was just tired. Sunlight slowly filtered in from the small circular window high on the wall to his left, brightening the room. He looked to Tivachi, holding out the container. "I already smell like lavender.... Should I smell like this, too?" Tivachi nudged off the lid and sniffed, then sniffed at Oliver's skin, thinking.

"It's a pleasant combination. Much better than the smell of vinegar, I'm sure." he said, motioning towards the third product meant for hair. Oliver's nose crinkled, and he nodded his agreement. He set the rosemary paste on the tray again, and grabbed the soap first, lathering it up in his hands and setting it back down before scrubbing his hair with his hands. The white soap suds slowly turned a light brown, and suddenly it was much easier to see just how white his hair was now that it was truly clean. When he felt his hair had been scrubbed enough, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slid until his head was submerged in the water, one of his hands running through his hair to try and get rid of any soap that tried to cling to it. He soon resurfaced, shaking his head like a dog and causing Tivachi to laugh and step away. "Hey! Don't give me a bath as well, silly!" The wolf God laughed, making Oliver smile.

He grabbed the Rosemary paste again, rereading the instructions before dipping two fingers into it and scooping out a small amount. He set the container back down and rubbed his hands together, spreading the paste, and then ran his hands through his hair before letting it sit for a few minutes.

He sighed, gingerly letting his back rest against the side of the tub. He looked down through the water, examining the cuts and scars along his feet. His hand went up to his throat, feeling the scars there. Tivachi watched him quietly, head tilted only slightly to the side as he studied the boy. Eventually, he laid down, curling up slightly. The wolf God listened as Oliver went under the water again and came back up a few moments later, doing the same a second time before leaning over to tap Tivachi's head. The wolf lifted his head, seeing Oliver looking over the edge of the tub to look at him. His hair was dripping water, covering his eyes.

Tivachi moved back and stood back up, looking over Oliver. He nodded after a moment, deeming Oliver clean enough. "Alright, drain the tub. I'll get your towel and the clothes they left out for you while they clean your clothes." Oliver nodded again, and once again unplugged the drain. Tivachi walked over, grabbing his towel and the simple cotton pants and shirt Felix had given him to wear after the conversation with King Jun. He set them down on the ground gently, standing so that Oliver could use him to stay upright while getting out of the tub.

Oliver got out carefully, hand gripping Tivachi's fur tightly. "Do you need to bathe, Tivachi?" He asked softly, voice scratchy from both the long conversation earlier and the short break between. Tivachi shook his head, watching as Oliver bent down to pick up the towel and dry himself off. Afterwards he dressed in the clothes given to him, looking uncertain in the slightly-too big clothes.

Oliver sighed, not really sure what to do with the towel. "What should I do with this...?"

Tivachi hummed, sniffing at the towel. "Well, I mean, it's clean, and this bathroom is attached to your room, so fold it and rest it on the edge of the tub. We can ask Felix about it later, alright? For now, you should rest." Oliver nodded, folding the towel and setting it carefully over the edge of the tub before using Tivachi's support to walk back to the room where a bed lay in the center of the room. When they were there, Oliver flopped down onto the bed and crawled under the covers, burying himself under them while Tivachi curled up at the foot of the bed. A moment later, they were asleep.

\-------

Felix sighed softly, staring at the parchment that held a list of what he had learned about Oliver in the six days he's known him. He couldn't tell if it was short or long. He looked over to Noir, who was lounging in a particularly sunny spot in his room. "Noir, did you learn anything about Oliver?"

The black cat yawned before stretching languidly, looking at his chosen. "Not particularly." He stated, flexing his claws a little as his tail flicked. "He's similar to a child. Do you have that written on there?"

"...No, actually, I don't." Felix said after a moment, looking over his list. "Do you really think he's a child?"

"He's been alone for so long, the world around him has changed, and Tivachi acts like a mother to him. He's almost disgustingly innocent about some more.... _Intimate_ things. That's enough to make me think he's a child."

"What do you mean 'intimate'?" Felix asked after a moment, and Noir just gave him a look. Felix's eyes widened, and his cheeks burst into color. " _How do you know that_?!" He hissed, and Noir shrugged, rolling over and stretching again.

"Tivachi and I were talking about stuff earlier this morning. 'Parently Jasper was cornered, flirted with, and touched a little too familiarly by some idiot vampire in the years before he was brought to the Forest, and remained entirely oblivious."

Felix could genuinely not believe what he was hearing, for more than one reason. "....What?"

"Trust me, I'm as disturbed as you are. But nothing bad happened to the kid because Tivachi knew what was happening, and it's not like Jasper wasn't uncomfortable. He just didn't know how to handle the situation, and especially didn't realize it would escalate had Tivachi not intervened. Tivachi said he didn't even realize until he explained it later, and a bunch of other stuff happened that, ha, was actually kind of funny and basically that boy has no idea what flirting, or anything beyond that, is. So, disgustingly innocent." Noir stated, tail flicking again, and Felix wasn't sure what he was feeling at the new revelation. He opened his mouth to speak to Noir, before closing it again and shaking his head.

"That... Actually does seem like Oliver." He admitted quietly, feeling worry and something akin to second-hand embarrassment gnaw at him. He wrote the two new points he learned about Oliver now on the parchment, and hesitated asking Noir if he knew anything else. After a moment he shook his head, deciding against it, and he tucked the parchment away into one of the drawers of his desk, standing and stretching a moment later.

He walked over to his bed, flopping down onto it face first and ignoring Noir's protest when he was consequentially moved by the action. Felix groaned, curling up into a ball. "How the heck should I go about all this? Who should I introduce him to, first?"

"Well, who's the calmest of all your friends? That should answer it for you."

"That's the problem. None of them are all that calm. Bridgette, as kind hearted as she is, might not react well if she finds out Oliver is the vampire from the forest, because just he has Tivachi doesn't change the fact he's a vampire... Faigel will just question him, and Sven will just be super excited and probably push him past his limits too soon."

Noir hummed, tailing flicking a bit again. "Okay, so, send a message to Bridgette explaining what's going on. She's the calmest, even though she's the most dangerous, right?"

"Yeah..." Felix sighed again, and glanced wistfully towards the door. "Do you think Oliver is sleeping now?"

"Most likely. He seemed pretty tired when you gave him the clothes, and Tivachi was determined to get him into the bath, so I imagine he crashed right after getting out."

"You're talkative today, you know that?" Felix commented, grunting faintly as he got back up and walked over to his desk again. He got out another sheet of parchment, and began writing a letter to the Miracle Knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this is predominantly medieval, I'm giving them actual working bathrooms but more Victorian era styled, because I want to. Also, they have a magical forest full of gods. They can have similar bathrooms to modern bathrooms, and I looked up what shampoo alternatives were in the Victorian era and what I mention were the four that I found (although I'm not really sure how the Rosemary one was used. The person who wrote the article said they themselves preferred to use it as a rinse but I like the idea of some sort of paste better, idk.)


	5. In the Sunshine's Warmth

A few days passed, and the people in the castle grew used to the quiet presence of Tivachi and Oliver wandering throughout the castle and spending most of their time either in their room or the courtyard. Felix could be found with them occasionally, although he mostly gave them time to themselves so they could adjust.

Right now, he was resting comfortably in the courtyard, enjoying the sun and fresh air with Oliver and their gods. Oliver was brushing Tivachi's fur with a brush he was given. Felix was glad to see that both of them looked much more well taken care of, already. Tivachi's fur was shining even more, if possible, and Oliver's hair was a brighter white and looked much more shiny and healthy. Silky.

Tivachi had his head resting in Oliver's lap, stretched out beside him and panting softly with a grin as Oliver ran the brush through his fur. Felix smiled as he watched them, lightly petting Noir, who was in his lap.

"So, do you like living here?"

Oliver paused in his brushing, looking at the small pond in front of them, before looking at Felix again. "It's... Nice. Calm." He looked back down after a moment, nose crinkling in disgust and reminding Felix of a puppy. "Your bathing products are fancy and smell strange, though."

Felix smiled, amused, and leaned back. He propped himself up with his arms. "Yes. I suppose they are."

"Who washes their hair with _vinegar_?"

The knight laughed a little, throwing his head back and looking at the sky. "It helps the roots of the hair, apparently. I don't use it though. I use castile soap and rosemary, like you."

"How do you know what I used?" Oliver asked, looking at Felix and cocking his head to the side. Yep. Definitely a puppy.

Felix grinned and looked into Oliver's crimson eyes, lightly tapping his own nose. "You smelled like it, when I was helping you put on your cloak."

Oliver's cheeks flared red, and he looked away. "Oh."

Felix hummed, looking back at the sky as Oliver started brushing Tivachi again. "Have you been able go keep more of your food down?"

"Yes, he has!" Tivachi answered proudly, tail thumping loudly against the ground. Noir groaned and shifted around in response, grumbling in annoyance. "Turns out, adding it in small portions to human foods like pancakes makes it a bit easier for him to handle. I think it helps that it's a bit more solid that blood. Of course, it's only been a few days."

Felix smiled. "That's good! And how are your feet healing? You were trying to keep your weight off of one, right?"

Oliver's cheeks dusted red again, and he shrugged lightly. "It's... Iffy." He said softly, one of his hands rubbing his legs absentmindedly. "They're healing well enough, I suppose."

"Do you want our doctor to look at them?"

He shook his head, running his hand through Tivachi's hair. "No, thank you. I've already troubled you enough. They'll heal eventually, after all."

Even though Felix knew it would be no trouble at all, he felt it wouldn't change his opinion, so he stayed silent on the matter. "Alright, but let me know if you think you need them to. We want you to stay healthy and safe."

Oliver nodded slightly, continuing to pet his God, and Felix hummed again, leaning back until his back was against the cool grass. He thought back to how Oliver never whined once on their trip, and how different he seemed from most noble blood. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Oliver? What did you do before becoming a vampire?"

Oliver was silent, and Felix worried he had said something very wrong. He glanced over, biting his lip when he saw Oliver had tensed and was looking at the sky. "Sorry," he backtracked, "you don't have to say if you aren't comfortable."

"I.... I would travel a lot." Oliver said quietly, surprising Felix. He had been sure the vampire wouldn't speak of his past, and even then, he very clearly remembered Oliver saying he was royalty- he was allowed out of the castle?

"Really?"

Oliver nodded, looking down and twirling a lock of Tivachi's fur around his finger. "I wasn't actually the heir to the throne, because my Dad's brother had kids much more suited for it and liked. I was already a "devil's spawn" because of my hair and eyes. Even my mother didn't like me that much; apparently she screamed and cried when she first saw my eyes, like I was some sort of demon who had taken over her child's body. When I was little, I wasn't allowed outside the castle walls, and I was lonely. No one wanted to be my friend and everyone in the castle avoided me... Only the captain of the guards was nice to me. He didn't think I was strange, and he taught me how to protect myself." Oliver's voice steadily started becoming super scratchy, and it looked like it pained him to talk. As if to confirm Felix's thoughts, he coughed harshly and reached up to carefully rub at his throat.

Felix frowned, feeling his heart ache for the vampire. He really never had it easy, did he? It made Felix feel bad, because while his dad cared for him while making his life terrible, he tried to stay as far away as possible as often as possible. Oliver was forced to be around people who hated him for years.

"O-Oh...." Slipped from his lips before he realized it did, and he flushed slightly from embarrassment. Oliver gave him a small, sad smile and a shrug, but didn't seem like he was feeling well enough to continue the story. "I-I-"

Oliver cut Felix off with a stern look and a finger to Felix's lips, shaking his head.

"He doesn't want your pity." Tivachi explained softly, glancing at Felix. "He's not used to it, and he doesn't want to start now.... Besides, that was millenia ago. The scars were made, and they'll stay for an even longer time."

"But, still. I-I mean-"

"Felix. People have different circumstances all the time. Just because your father cares about you does not make him better than Oliver's parents. He has very misguided intentions that make it right for you to want to stay away." Noir said sternly, and Tivachi nodded his agreement. Oliver nodded as well, his eyes saddening slightly.

"Parents suck." The vampire said, voice incredibly scratchy even though he had only just stopped talking once again.

Felix sighed, nodding in agreement after a moment. "Parents suck." He repeated. But he thought back to the painter the castle and his father would call whenever they wanted a painting- the nice woman from the town over. Thought back to the woman's warm personality and the air of motherliness and her gentle smiles.

"You know... I know someone who I think you would like."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, and Felix smiled shyly. "She, uh, she's really nice, and... I think she's be a very good influence for you to be around."

Oliver stared at him for a moment, blinking slowly, before he tilted his head to the side curiously. "An adult?"

Felix nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah. She's not like most, though. She's very motherly, but she acts a lot like a kid most of the time.... I think you two would probably learn a lot from each other."

"... Oh." Oliver seemed rather hesitant, and Felix offered him a small smile.

"If you don't want to just yet, I won't force you. Just think about it, please?" He asked softly, and after Oliver gave him a small nod, he smiled. "Thank you. Now, do you want anything to eat?"

Oliver shook his head and Tivachi looked at him from the corner of his eye. "Bring him something, please. Something light, if possible. He wasn't able to eat much this morning, and I would like for him to try and stomach food more than just once a day."

Felix nodded, bowing his head to Tivachi. "Alright. I'll be back soon, then." He said softly, before leaving the courtyard and heading towards the kitchen.

\-------

When Felix came back to the courtyard, he smiled. Tivachi and Oliver had, essentially, switched positions.

Now, Tivachi was curled around Oliver, and Oliver was resting his head on Tivachi's side, sleeping away quietly in the sun. 

 


	6. The Miracle Meets The Vampire

****

**Isaias_Q drew me fan art from last chapter based completely off memory after not having read the story in months! They did an awesome job, didn't they? Thank you!!!!**

 

"Okay, now please _don't_ do anything rash, Bridgette." Felix begged, leading his counterpart, the Miracle Knight, from the castle gates towards Oliver's room. The girl beside him scoffed, waving him off dismissively as she smiled brightly at him.

"Please, Felix, you have no faith in me."

"All I know, is that you have a bit of a "draw swords first ask questions later" personality if you feel threatened. So, you and Fortune need to _promise_ not to go ballistic." Felix sighed, looking down and shaking his head for a moment before looking at her again, a bit of desperation in his eyes. "Seriously, Bridgette. Don't attack him, don't hug him to death, don't even freak out about his God. Just be normal." He knocked on the door to the room, hearing a small "Come in" from inside as Bridgette scoffed and started speaking again.

"Come on, Fel, I told you I-"

Her words cut off as she walked into the room after Felix opened the door, motioning her in and smirking smugly at her reaction as she stared almost dumbly at Oliver. Oliver waved shyly, curled up in a ball on his bed beside Tivachi, who's tail was thumping happily against the bed. "Hello." The wolf God said, amusement in his voice.

"I- uh- Felix?" Bridgette looked over to Felix, looking mildly panicked but mainly confused. Felix made sure to position himself between her and Oliver, just in case.

"Yes?"

"Why does a vampire have a wolf God companion?" She asked slowly, and Felix noticed how her sword hand twitched. He mentally sighed, forcing himself not to pinch the bridge of his nose. He _told_ her not to react badly. He had to give her kudos for not drawing the sword, though.

"Because I chose him?" Tivachi answered instead, confusion in his voice as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Milady, but I don't understand where the confusion lies. What does it matter who I choose?"

"But- But he's a vampire!" Tivachi immediately growled, and Bridgette snapped her jaw shut with a click. Her god flew from her resting place in her satchel, and Felix heard the wolf sniff the air loudly.

"Well now, been a long time since I last saw you, Fortune." He said, tone dry. Felix turned to look at the Ladybug Goddess, who crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. Bridgette's defensive posture melted, her expression becoming confused as she watched her God.

"Who's fault is that, huh?" Fortune said snootily, and the three chosen stared in confusion. This was not how their gods normally acted. "What are you doing here?"

"My dear Oliver needed a place to live and rest. The castle was the only safe place aside from the Forest, and had Felix not been the one to go there to kill him, he would have not been given this chance." Tivachi said calmly, fur on his neck bristling at Fortune's angry glare.

"You let a _vampire_ into our-"

"If your chosen is allowed to go into our forest, then so is mine!" Tivachi growled, getting on all fours and looking like he was about to pounce on the God. Bridgette began to draw her sword on instinct, Felix rushing to put an arm in front of Tivachi while Oliver wrapped arms around his God's neck. Fortune's wings fluttered angrily and Noir hissed loudly between them, tail lashing out,

"Enough! Tivachi, you are better than this!" The Cat God hissed, before turning to Fortune, "And you don't go talking about things you don't know or understand!"

Fortune reeled back at the venom in her opposite's voice, eyes wide and offended. "How dare you tell me-"

"You _always_ do this!" Noir snapped, walking towards the Ladybug. "You are so nice and kind, but the moment something bad happens to someone, you shun and shame them for life! That is not how a luck God should behave." The cat God growled, their chosen all frozen in place by confusion and worry. This was not something any of them had expected to happen, and now they had no idea what to do. Should they call them off? Try to get them under control?

"Oh, like you know any better, Cat!" Fortune spat, her wings moving so fast the sound was audible. "You sided with him the moment he did something bad!"

Noir hissed and Tivachi growled, their fur standing on end.   
"Noir is not like that!"  
"I've always trusted him!"

Oliver tightened his grip around his God's neck, looking at him worriedly. "Tivachi..?" He asked softly, and Tivachi glanced at him before sighing and relaxing, licking Oliver's cheek lovingly.

"I'm sorry, pup. You shouldn't have to see this." He said softly, before looking at Fortune. "Listen, Fortune. If you want to argue, we can do it later, when no one else is around. Right now, our chosen need to speak and get acquainted, and I don't know about you, but I plan to stay until the end."

Noir relaxed soon after Fortune decided to stand down, his fur falling flat. He did not move from between the gods, however, and Fortune huffed, turning away from him. Their chosen continued to stare, unsure what to do, and Tivachi cleared his throat, laying down beside Oliver again. "Well then... Shall we talk about why Bridgette is here?" He asked softly, and Oliver nodded slowly, hand tangling into his fur once again.

"Felix said you need some new clothes...?" The mentioned girl said slowly, as if not understand just what was going on. Felix certainly couldn't blame her- if anyone followed the rules and laws of the world to the letter, it was Bridgette. And Oliver was an exception no one had been expecting.

Oliver nodded, looking down again after a moment. "I... I don't like walking around in destroyed clothes anymore... and I don't want to make the castle inhabitants look even worse than they already do because of me." He explained slowly, voice still sounding terribly strained even though he had been getting better over the weeks he's lived here. Felix wondered if he was ever going to have the voice he did before the years of captivity again.

Bridgette nodded slowly, looking at Felix for some sort of guidance. He shrugged, motioning to Oliver. "He's really nice, Bridgette. Only eats small amounts of blood, and even then, it's all animal. He can't stomach it."

"And we're sure he's a vampire?"

"He is." Felix said, offering a chair to Bridgette, who gladly accepted the seat and set her sword beside her. "Been alive since the Celcists Empire."

Bridgette eyes widened, looking at Oliver with something akin to awe. "Wow, really?" Oliver nodded shyly, nearly hiding behind Tivachi as he was stared at. Bridgette smiled slightly, leaning forward after a bit. "Oh yeah, I can see it. His clothes look completely tattered, but they've lasted well for about a thousand years." She reached out to feel one of the edges of Oliver's cape, but she paused, looking up at him. "May I?"

Unsure, Oliver slowly nodded, and Bridgette took the worn and fraying fabric in her hands, running her fingers carefully over the fabric. "Wow. It feels like it should have crumbled to dust ages ago, but it's still standing.... What fabric is it?"

Oliver shrugged helplessly, just as lost as Bridgette. He looked to Felix, confused, and Felix gave him a reassuring smile. "She gets like this sometimes. It's the inner seamstress in her."

"Okay..." Oliver said slowly, looking down at Bridgette's hands nervously. She marveled over the fabric of the cloak a while longer, before clearing her throat and leaning away.

"Sorry, I forgot my manners." She apologized, smiling at Oliver gently. "I an make you some new clothes, easy. I already know what the style will be." She stated proudly, before standing again. "I need to go sketch these out before I forget, but I'll be back later to take your measurements, okay?"

Bridgette hooked her sword back to her side, a small bounce in her step as she went to the door. "Bye!" She waved, before closing the door behind her as she and Fortune left, leaving Oliver to stare at the door with no true understanding of what just happened. Tivachi had an amused grin, and he resting his head on Oliver's shoulder.

"Well now, that was a small adventure of its own, wouldn't you say?" The wolf god chuckled, and Felix laughed softly.

"Sorry, she's always like that. Once her mind turns to fashion, it's the only thing there until she finds a good stopping point."

"I..." Oliver began, looking at Felix  with a small frown. "I don't get why she suddenly ran off...? If she knew she was going to see me about clothes, why did she forget her sketch book?"

Felix smiled, shrugging a bit as he moved over and sat beside the vampire. "To be fair, I don't know what's going through her head most of the time. She handled it all better than I thought she would though."

"She seems nice..." Oliver said softly, and Felix pat his shoulder.

"You weren't overwhelmed?"

The vampire shook his head, smiling sheepishly at Felix. "I might have been if it kept going."

"We'll work you up to it." He said softly, and Oliver nodded before covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned. Felix took that as his cue to leave, giving Oliver another small smile as he went to the door. "Well, I'll leave you to rest. Sleep well, Oliver."

"Have a good day, Felix. Noir." Tivachi said in return as Oliver gave them a small wave goodbye. Felix left with Noir, closing the door quietly behind him.


End file.
